Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



C. W. BALDWIN.

Breech Loading Fire Arm. w No. 85,897. I Patented Jany 19, 1869.

I Ina e rzz'o 6565. a eq ew 32; w

it to sustain the force of the explosion of the CYRUS 'W. BALDWIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 85,897, dated January 19, 1869.

To all whom it may concern: or inclined planes, upon which the cartridge Be it known that 1, (Watts W. BALDWIN, of ascends by the force of a coiled spring or other Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commondevice until it attains a sufficient elevation to wealth of Massachusetts, have made an invenbe struck by the advance of the sliding breech tion of certain new and useful Improvements and carried by it to the barrel.

in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and do hereby The invention further consists in combining declare the following to be a full, clear, and. with the movable breech and its operative exact description thereof, due reference being parts a device for exploding the cartridge, the had to the accompanying drawings, making same to be hereinafter described. I part of this specification, and in which- To enable others conversant with fire-arms Figure l is a vertical central and longitudito make and use my invention, I will describe nal section, and Fig. 2 an elevation, of its inits operation and advantages. terior working parts as it would appear with In the drawings accompanying this specifione-half of its receiver removed. Figs. 3, 4, cation, and which illustrate my invention, a and 5 are vertical and transverse sections of denotes the barrel of a fire-arm, andb its bore, the arm. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a 0 being the stock or frame for containing the portion of the movable breech. Fig. 7 is a operative parts, and which is usually termed section of the rear end of the barrel. Fig. 8 the receiver. This 1 receiver is hollow, or is a top view of the exploding-bolt, to be hereformed with a longitudinal inclosure or chaminafter described. ber, d, open at rear end, and disposed in an This invention is an improvement in that axial line with the bore of the barrel. Withclass of breech-loading fire-arms carrying mein this chamber is disposed an elongated block, tallic cartridges, and known as magazine or c, the two being of equal length, or so that repeating arms, the arm, as constructed by when the block 6 is in its place it shall exmyself, being susceptible of use as a singletend from the rear end of the chamber at to loader, so termed; the object of this inventhe rear end of the barrel and form the recoiltion being to secure great simplicity of 0011- block or breech of the arm, the said rear end struction, combined with ease and accuracy in of the chamber being formed with a raised manipulation and elfectiveness and durability abutment or ledge, f, to retain the said breechin operation. block firmly in place.

The invention consists in the employment For the purpose of effecting the necessary of a longitudinal sliding breech-block moving backward and forward movements of the in an inclosure or chamber made in the frame breech-block e, I employ a hook, g, formed upor receiver of the arm, in rear of the barrel, on the rear end of abolt or bar, h, which slides and in axial alignment with the bore thereof, within a groove, 13, made in the upper face of the disposition of the said breech-block being the block, and nearly its entire length, the such that, when drawn back or retracted to bolt being retained within the groove by a its farthest limit of movement, it allows a cartransverse pin, j, passing throiigh the block tridge from the magazine below it to precede it, and, when pushed forward to its extreme and extending into a slot, l, in the bolt, this slot allowing of short reciprocating movements position,- it performs the function of forcing of the bolt within the block. the cartridge along in advance of it, of intro- The hook g has a bolster or shoulder, m, ducing such cartridge into its chamber within formed upon its front part, which, when the the barrel, and of closing the rear end of and forming a breech thereto, the block being probreech is in the position against the barrel, extends underneath the upper boundary, a vided with a suitable device for automatically locking it in its closed position and enabling of the breech-chamber d, and prevents the rear end of the breech-block from rising above its supporting-abutment f, before mentioned.

When it becomes desirable to retract the breech-block in the act of loading the arm, the hook is seized and drawn back a short discharge.

The invention further consists in the employment and disposition of an inclined plane p of the cartridge-1nagazine, and punctured with tance, which will remove its shoulder m from in the under side of the breech-block, the rear under its stop a, the length of the slot Z, beend of the said bar being formed, as shown fore mentioned, determining thelength of this in Fig. 9 of the drawings, with a hook, 1 for movement, the forward end of the bolt a at advancing the sleeve and its spring-catch, and his point sinking into a depression, I), made with a catch or notch, for retracting such in the bottom of the groove 27, and by this sleeve and catch, according as the breechmeans leaving room between the breech-block block 0 may be advanced or retracted, the said and the top of its chamber for raising of the hook or rear end of the bar extending into rear end of the block therein. At this point a short slot or aperture, 70 made in the upper the hook, and with it the rear end of the side of the sleeve 6 breech, is to be raised with the front upper As the breech-block is drawn back preparacorner of the breech as a fulcrum or turntory to leading the arm, the catch j of the bar ing-point, and the rear end of the breech 9 by means of the aperture k forces back the raised from contact with its ledge or abutment sleeve 0 and its spring-eatch f such springj, when the combined hook and breech are to catch when the breech arrives at-its extreme be drawn back to their extreme rearward porearward position, taking into one of the sesition, which is determined bya projection, n, ries of notches of the feeding-ribbon (0 depending from the front end of the breech- As the breech block 0 is forced forward in block, and which brings up against the abutthe act of advancing the foremost cartridge mentf. into the barrel, the spring-catch f also ad- The magazine or tube, or a portion thereof, vances the sleeve 0 and with it the feedingfor containing the cartridges is shown at p ribbon (F, the spring (2 of which, by pressing as extending through the stock of the gun against the rear cartridge of the series, servand communicating with a cartridge-receiving to advance the whole of them within the ing trough, q, formed in the receiver and bemagazine and toward the barrel. low, the breech-chamber, and in alignment It will also be found in practice, I think, therewith, the sides of the rear portion of the that this spring will have the effect of throwtrough qbeing provided with an inclined ledge ing the cartridge entirely into the barrel in or ledges, r 1', upon which the flange of the advance of the breech. cartridge rests, the forward terminus of the The abovemlescribed device for advancing trough, or that supporting the ball, also be the cartridges constitutes a positive mechaning inclined, as shown at s. ism, and in many respects may be considered The spring or other device for advancing preferable to the ordinar spiral spring now the cartridge has the effect of forcing the foregenerally employed in magazine fire-arms for most one a short distance up the inclined advancing the cartridges.

' Although, in itself considered, the use of the feeding-ribbon is not new, and is usedin common in some other arms, I show its application to my invention in order to explain its operation in connection therewith.

The operator now seizes the hook g and pushes it and the breech block forward, the front end of such block abutting against the rear end of the cartridge, and serving both to cause the cartridge to surmount the inclined planes and to be driven into the chamber of the barrel.

As soon as the breech block brings up when the latter is retracted.

ne device which I have contemplated for thus forcing the cartridges along consists of a long thin ribbon or plate of steel or other metal, a lying within a slot in the lower part a series of orifices, b the distance of such orifices from one another being equal to the extreme length of a cartridge. This ribbon a is secured to the under side of ashort tube, 0 which slides freely within the cartridgemagazine p, a coiled spring, (1 being disposed within this tube, and projecting, when in an extended state, somewhat beyond the tbrwa-rd end thereof, shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the said spring pressing against the last of the series of cartridges within the magazine.

A tubular sleeve, 0 encompasses the cartridge-magazine and so as to slide freely thereon, such sleeve having affixed to its lower partaspring catch or hook, f, for taking into the orifice of the feedingribbon and advancing the cartridges. The said tubular sleeve is worked backward and forward by a hooked and notched bar, 9 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings,) fulcrumed to the forward end of the breech-lock e, or to its projection a, before mentioned, and partially extending into a longitudinal groove, 71?, made two, a slight dowward pressure is exerted upon the hook, which has the effect of depressing the rear end of the block into its position in front of the abutmcntf, this downward pressure upon the hook also having the effect of elevating the forward end of the bolt h from out of the depression 2), before mentioned, and permitting the hook to be pushed forward to its fullest extent, and its bolster or shoulder forced under the stop (t the above mentioned depression of the breeclrblock looking it in position against the barrel by extending in front of the abutment f.

The firing-pin for exploding the cartridge is shown at t as a curved bar of a length about equal to that of the breech, to the projection 12 of which it is pivoted by a belt, a, and pin w, the bar extending alongside the bar 9 and partially into the groove h before mentioned as made in the under side of the breech-block. The firing pin t, besides serving the purpose of exploding the cartridge, also, in combination with the bar lies upon the top of the next cartridge in the series within the zinc, and serves to maintain such cartridge within its trough q until the breech-block has passed over and to the rear of it.

The lock or discharging mechanism of the arm consists of a long bolt, to, sliding freely in a groove, 11, made in the upper part of the receiver, and over the magazine 19, the forward end of the bolt abutting against the rear end of the firing-pin t, the rear end of the bolt being provided with a spring or other device suitably arranged for projecting the bolt suddenly forward at the proper time.

A ring, 10 depends from the bolt to at or near its center, such ring encircling the magazine 10, over which itfreely slides, and operating in connection with a tipping-lever, y, pivoted at about its middle to the lower part of the receiver and below the magazine, as shown at z in the drawings, the said ring 10 and lever y serving the same purpose as the tumbler and sear of an ordinary tire arm lock-that is to say, as the bolt to is retracted by means hereinafter described to its farthest extent the rear end of the lever 51 is forced upward in front of the ring by a spring, (1 suitably applied to such lever, and operates to set or cook the exploding-bolt n, such bolt being released or discharged by a trigger, e, constructed and applied as in ordinary fire-arms, and by pulling which the inner end of the bolt or sear y is elevated an d its rear depressed and removed from contact with the ring or tumbler 10 thus allowing the spring to act and force the bolt a forward against the spring-pin.

The retraction or rearward movement of the bolt to is effected by the bar g", which, during a rearward movement of the breech block, abuts against a shoulder, of the bolt to, the bolt g passing by the forward end of the bolt it without actuating it, the object of this being to compensate for the greater distance traveled by the firing -pin in comparison with that required to cook the bolt to.

The device for extracting the spent or exploded shell of the cartridge consists simply of a hook or catch bar, I, pivoted to one side of the forward end of the movable breech c, as shown in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings, the hook being forced inward and in front of the flange of the cartridge-case by an inclined groove, m, cut in the breech end of the barrel or the cartridgechamber thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, and also in Fig. 7, which is a horizontal section of the rear end of the barrel.

As the breech is retracted the hook l seizes the exploded shell and draws it backward with it, the shell being discharged from the arm by any suitable device through a lateral opening,

m, made in the receiver, this opening at being closed by a gate, a, affixed to the side of the breech-block and moving with it.

It will be seen by the intelligent reader that, as the forward end of the breech turns upon its upper corner as a fulcrum when its rear end is elevated, it becomes a powerful lever to start the cartridge shell a short distance in withdrawing it from the barrel.

The device for locking the trigger against accidental or premature explosion of the charge consists of a sliding plate, 0, affi xed to the lower part of the breech-chamber, and upon one side of the sear y, as represented.

The plate 0 is provided with a knob, 19, which extends through a ;l0i3 made in the under part of the receiver, as shown in Fig. 1.

Upon pushing forward the knob 19', the rear end of the plate 0, or a right-angular bend, g thereof, will be inserted below the rear end of the sear "y, and, by locking the trigger, prevent explosion of the charge.

In operating the above-described arm, its magazine isto be supplied with a plurality of cartridges, which, preferably, are to be inserted therein by passing them, in succession, through the opening on in the side of the receiver and dropping them into the front end of the magazine 12. The operator then seizes the hook g and draws it back until its bolster is released from the stop a, when be slightly elevates the hook and rear end of the breechblock, or sufficiently so to raise the latter from contact with the abutment f, when he draws the whole back to their extreme rearward position, the locking-bolt by this movement bein g cocked, as before explained. At this point the forward cartridge of the series is forced forward by the spring or other device for actuating them, and lies in position with the upper portion of its flange in front of the breechblock. The operator next seizes the hook and pushes it and the breech forward, the breech striking against the cartridge and forcing it in advance of it up the inclined planes 1" r and s and into the barrel, a slight downward pressure being exerted upon the hook, which has the effect of depressing the rear end of the breech into its chamber, the bolster of the hook by the same movement brought forward into place below the stop a and lockin g the breech securely in place against the barrel, and closing the rear end thereof. As the breech-block reaches its position against the end of the barrel, the hook I, by the action of the inclined groove in, is forced in front of and so as to impinge against the flange of the cartridge. The trigger is then pulled and the hold of the sear y upon the annular thimble w removed, which allows the bolt to to be forced forward by the action of its spring and explodethe charge by striking the firing-pin and driving it against such cartridge, the firing-pin serving the purpose, during the forward movement as well as rearward movement of the breech, of keeping the next succeeding cartridge of the series in its proper place within its trough. On drawing back the breech-block a second time thehook Z seizes the empty shell and withdraws it from the barrel, the shell being retracted until its flange strikes against a stud properly situated within the receiver, when it is deflected through the passage or orifice m efore mentioned, and expelled from the arm.

The arm above described may be converted into a single-loader by the employment of a spring or pin so disposed as to press upon the foremost cartridge and retain it within its trough while.the breech-block moves over it,

the cartridge also serving to support a cartridge while being inserted within the barrel y a persons hand, such cartridge being introduced through the orifice in the side of thereceiver.

By the device of a divided firing-pin the arm is also capable of conversion to the use of a center-fire cartridge, and may be constructed with equal facility for either a central or rim fire cartridge.

In order to prevent possibility of premature explosion of the charge by the tiring-pin coming in contact with the fulminate of the cartridge in the act of pushing the breech-block forward into place, I form in the upper surface of the rear end of the firing-pin a short notch, Z and I secure to the lower part of the rear h of the hook g a pin, m which extends into this notch, and so disposed therewith that upon drawing back the bar it the pin m acting upon the firing-pin, retracts it a short distance within the breech-block, and so that it shall not touch the cartridge as the breech is forced into place against th barrel until it is struck by the exploding-bolt.

I would remark that in place of the exact form and arran gem entof the breech-block with respect to the receiver and the barrel, as shown in the accompanying drawings, I have eontemplated forming it in the shape of a round bolt, and having a coupling arrangement between it and the rear end of the chamber cl similar to that of many liosecouplings now in usethat is, the rear end of the breech or bolt has a projecting ring turned upon it, this ring having two quadrantal openings cut from its opposite sides, the opening in the end of the breech-chamber being formed to correspond to the shape of this notched rin As the breech is forced forward into its place against the barrel it is given a quarter of a revolution, which looks or couples it to the receiver of the arm.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, as folows:

1 I claim the combination, with incline guide or guides for assisting the cartridge into alignment with the barrel, of a sliding block or breech moving in alignment with the bore of the barrel, and in a chamber in the receiver in rear of such barrel, essentially as herein shown and described.

2. I also claim the construction, combination, and arrangement of the breech-block c and belt a, the latter being formed with the hook g and pivoted to the breech-block, as described, the breech-block being provided with t e depression I), substantially as before explained.

3. I also claim the employment of a firingpin so ar-anged as to serve the double purpose of exploding the charge and of keeping baek'the cartridges within the magazine, in manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore explained.

4. I also claim, in combination with the breech-block, turning upon its upper corner as a fulcrum, as hereinbet'ore explained, the hook or catch bar 9, for retracting the empty cartridgeshell, in manner and to operate as before set forth.

5. I also claim the construction and arrangement of the firing-pin t and bolt 9 substantially in manner and for the purpose as before referred to and described. 1

6. I also claim, in combination with the above-described arrangement of the firing-pin t and bolt the exploding-bolt a, in manner as explained.

7. I also claim the lock of the arm, as composed of the bolt a, the annular tumbler w, and the lever or sear 3 the bolt being provided with a suitable spring, and both tumbler and sear operating in connection with the firing pin tand trigger e, in manner as before described.

8. I also claim the inclined planes or guides r r and 8, formed upon the prolongation of the magazine, and arranged with relation to the barrel in the manner shown and described, the guides 1' being constructed to receive and elevate the rear of the cartridge, and the guide 8 to elevate the front of the cartridge, into alignment with the bore of the barrel, substantially as set forth.

I claim the employment of the pin m and slot Pin the bolt h and breech-block c, or their mechanical equivalents for producing like results, for the purpose before explained.

CYRUS W. BALDY'VIN.

Witnesses:

FRED. OURrIs, EDWARD GRIFFITH. 

